Barrasso criticizes Obama budget request as assault on American energy

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) recently criticized President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2017 budget request, calling some measures included within it an assault on American energy.

“This is a sign that the Obama administration is still committed to continuing its assault on energy production in this country — red, white and blue energy,” Barrasso said. “The American people understand that there are enormous national security implications to what the President is proposing in his budget.”

Barrasso specifically criticized the President’s proposed gasoline tax, which would raise $319 billion over 10 years by adding more than $10 to the price of oil barrels. Barrasso points out that this would disadvantage American energy producers and make it easier for OPEC countries, Russia and Iran to undermine the American energy industry.

“This is not the time to add costs to American energy production,” Barrasso said. “That will only help our adversaries more — and it will make America and our allies more dependent on energy, not on us, but from places like Russia and Iran, and, of course, from other OPEC countries. It’s time for America’s energy policies to help American energy producers compete, and to help our jobs and our energy security at home.”